In Sonoma County, some flee, some defy continuing blaze

Updated 11:11 pm, Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Photo: Alex Washburn, The Chronicle

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Brandon Hays, top, walks through thick ash behind his parents’ home on Shallow Creek Drive in Santa Rosa. He said he spent six hours with garden hoses trying to save the home. Above: Santa Rosa firefighter Jessie Taintor prepares to fight the Tubbs Fire in the Oakmont area. less

Brandon Hays, top, walks through thick ash behind his parents’ home on Shallow Creek Drive in Santa Rosa. He said he spent six hours with garden hoses trying to save the home. Above: Santa Rosa firefighter ... more

Photo: Alex Washburn, The Chronicle

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Santa Rosa firefighter Jessie Taintor pauses while preparing to battle the Tubbs fire in the Oakmont area of Santa Rosa.

Santa Rosa firefighter Jessie Taintor pauses while preparing to battle the Tubbs fire in the Oakmont area of Santa Rosa.

Petaluma firefighter Greg Taylor takes a break at a large home that burned in The Ranch subdivision in Sonoma, Calif., on Saturday, October 14, 2017.

Petaluma firefighter Greg Taylor takes a break at a large home that burned in The Ranch subdivision in Sonoma, Calif., on Saturday, October 14, 2017.

Photo: Scott Strazzante, The Chronicle

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Santa Cruz firefighters' Josiah Gist and Ian Adams carry a hose over the pool of a large home that burned in The Ranch subdivision in Sonoma, Calif., on Saturday, October 14, 2017.

Santa Cruz firefighters' Josiah Gist and Ian Adams carry a hose over the pool of a large home that burned in The Ranch subdivision in Sonoma, Calif., on Saturday, October 14, 2017.

Photo: Scott Strazzante, The Chronicle

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The chimney is all that remains standing at a large home that burned in The Ranch subdivision in Sonoma, Calif., on Saturday, October 14, 2017.

The chimney is all that remains standing at a large home that burned in The Ranch subdivision in Sonoma, Calif., on Saturday, October 14, 2017.

Photo: Scott Strazzante, The Chronicle

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Three firefighters look at a large home that burned in The Ranch subdivision in Sonoma, Calif., on Saturday, October 14, 2017.

Three firefighters look at a large home that burned in The Ranch subdivision in Sonoma, Calif., on Saturday, October 14, 2017.

Photo: Scott Strazzante, The Chronicle

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A firefighter walks through what remains of a large home that burned in The Ranch subdivision in Sonoma, Calif., on Saturday, October 14, 2017.

A firefighter walks through what remains of a large home that burned in The Ranch subdivision in Sonoma, Calif., on Saturday, October 14, 2017.

Photo: Scott Strazzante, The Chronicle

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Josiah Gist (right) joins fellow Santa Cruz firefighters in using pool water in firefighting efforts at a large home that burned in The Ranch subdivision in Sonoma, Calif., on Saturday, October 14, 2017.

Josiah Gist (right) joins fellow Santa Cruz firefighters in using pool water in firefighting efforts at a large home that burned in The Ranch subdivision in Sonoma, Calif., on Saturday, October 14, 2017.

Photo: Scott Strazzante, The Chronicle

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Smoke in the hills east of Sonoma, Calif., on Saturday, October 14, 2017.

Smoke in the hills east of Sonoma, Calif., on Saturday, October 14, 2017.

Photo: Scott Strazzante, The Chronicle

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The sun sets over Sonoma, Calif., on Saturday, October 14, 2017.

The sun sets over Sonoma, Calif., on Saturday, October 14, 2017.

Photo: Scott Strazzante, The Chronicle

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Search and Rescue personnel look for human remains in the Journey's End Mobile Home park following the damage caused by the Tubbs Fire on Oct. 13, 2017 in Santa Rosa. Twenty four people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed over 3,500 homes and businesses in several Northern California counties.

Search and Rescue personnel look for human remains in the Journey's End Mobile Home park following the damage caused by the Tubbs Fire on Oct. 13, 2017 in Santa Rosa. Twenty four people have died in wildfires

A CalFire firefighter uses a hand tool as he monitors a firing operation while battling the Tubbs Fire on Oct. 12, 2017 near Calistoga, Calif. At least thirty one people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed over 3,500 homes and businesses in several Northern California counties. less

A CalFire firefighter uses a hand tool as he monitors a firing operation while battling the Tubbs Fire on Oct. 12, 2017 near Calistoga, Calif. At least thirty one people have died in wildfires that have burned ... more

Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images

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A stairwell smolders as a home burns during the Tubbs Fire on Oct. 12, 2017 near Calistoga, Calif. At least thirty one people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed over 3,500 homes and businesses in several Northern California counties. less

A stairwell smolders as a home burns during the Tubbs Fire on Oct. 12, 2017 near Calistoga, Calif. At least thirty one people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed ... more

Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images

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CalFire firefighters monitor a firing operation as they battle the Tubbs Fire on Oct. 12, 2017 near Calistoga, Calif. At least thirty one people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed over 3,500 homes and businesses in several Northen California counties. less

CalFire firefighters monitor a firing operation as they battle the Tubbs Fire on Oct. 12, 2017 near Calistoga, Calif. At least thirty one people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of ... more

Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images

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Firefighters try to extinguish a house fire during the Tubbs Fire on Oct. 12, 2017 near Calistoga, Calif. At least thirty one people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed over 3,500 homes and businesses in several Northern California counties. less

Firefighters try to extinguish a house fire during the Tubbs Fire on Oct. 12, 2017 near Calistoga, Calif. At least thirty one people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and ... more

Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images

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CalFire firefighters monitor a firing operation as they battle the Tubbs Fire on Oct.12, 2017 near Calistoga, Calif. At least thirty one people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed over 3,500 homes and businesses in several Northern California counties. less

CalFire firefighters monitor a firing operation as they battle the Tubbs Fire on Oct.12, 2017 near Calistoga, Calif. At least thirty one people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres ... more

Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images

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A CalFire firefighter uses a hose to monitor hot spots during a firing operation while battling the Tubbs Fire on Oct. 12, 2017 near Calistoga, Calif. At least thirty one people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed over 3,500 homes and businesses in several Northern California counties. less

A CalFire firefighter uses a hose to monitor hot spots during a firing operation while battling the Tubbs Fire on Oct. 12, 2017 near Calistoga, Calif. At least thirty one people have died in wildfires that have ... more

Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images

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Firefighters try to extibguish a house fire during the Tubbs Fire on Oct. 12, 2017 near Calistoga, Calif. At least thirty one people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed over 3,500 homes and businesses in several Northern California counties. less

Firefighters try to extibguish a house fire during the Tubbs Fire on Oct. 12, 2017 near Calistoga, Calif. At least thirty one people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and ... more

Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images

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Jimmie Allen, pries a piece of metal that had melted during the fire and had solidified next to his car in Coffey Park on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017 in Napa. Allen's home in Coffey Park burned in the Tubbs Fire. less

Jimmie Allen, pries a piece of metal that had melted during the fire and had solidified next to his car in Coffey Park on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017 in Napa. Allen's home in Coffey Park burned in the Tubbs ... more

A primary school classroom at St. Rose School is seen with damages caused by the Tubbs fire in Santa Rosa on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017.

A primary school classroom at St. Rose School is seen with damages caused by the Tubbs fire in Santa Rosa on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017.

Photo: Alex Washburn, The Chronicle

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Karen Balestieri and Heidi Facciano (left to right) marvel at a pond of live koi fish which survived the Tubbs fire in the neighborhood referred to by locals as 'old fountaingrove' in Santa Rosa on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017. less

Karen Balestieri and Heidi Facciano (left to right) marvel at a pond of live koi fish which survived the Tubbs fire in the neighborhood referred to by locals as 'old fountaingrove' in Santa Rosa on Wednesday, ... more

Brian Kitchen (left) and son Tarreyl Kitchen (right) wash their hands off in a pool after sifting through the remains of their house after it was destroyed in the Tubbs fire in the Coffey Park neighborhood of Santa Rosa on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017. less

Brian Kitchen (left) and son Tarreyl Kitchen (right) wash their hands off in a pool after sifting through the remains of their house after it was destroyed in the Tubbs fire in the Coffey Park neighborhood of ... more

Photo: Gabrielle Lurie, The Chronicle

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A wall stands at a Chanterelle Circle home destroyed by the Tubbs fire in the Fountaingrove area of Santa Rosa on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017.

A wall stands at a Chanterelle Circle home destroyed by the Tubbs fire in the Fountaingrove area of Santa Rosa on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017.

People watch the sunset through smoke in the air from a fire on Mount Veeter in Napa on Tuesday, October 10, 2017.

People watch the sunset through smoke in the air from a fire on Mount Veeter in Napa on Tuesday, October 10, 2017.

Photo: Elijah Nouvelage, Special To The Chronicle

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Front gate to a property along WarnSprings Rd. in Glen Ellen on Oct. 9, 2017.

Front gate to a property along WarnSprings Rd. in Glen Ellen on Oct. 9, 2017.

Photo: Peter DaSilva/Special To The Chronicle

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Brian Kitchen (left) and son Tarreyl Kitchen (right) wash their hands off in a pool after sifting through the remains of their house after it was destroyed in the Tubbs fire in the Coffey Park neighborhood of Santa Rosa on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017.

Brian Kitchen (left) and son Tarreyl Kitchen (right) wash their hands off in a pool after sifting through the remains of their house after it was destroyed in the Tubbs fire in the Coffey Park neighborhood of

Police officers search for signs of Karen Aycock, a Coffey Park resident who has been missing since the Tubbs fire roared through her neighborhood, in Santa Rosa on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017.

Police officers search for signs of Karen Aycock, a Coffey Park resident who has been missing since the Tubbs fire roared through her neighborhood, in Santa Rosa on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017.

Photo: Noah Berger/Special To The Chronicle

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Nikki Albrecht takes a break in front of her mother's destroyed home at the scene of the Tubbs Fire in Santa Rosa on Monday Oct. 9, 2017. Massive wildfires ripped through Napa and Sonoma counties early Monday, destroying hundreds of homes and businesses on Monday Oct. 9, 2017

Nikki Albrecht takes a break in front of her mother's destroyed home at the scene of the Tubbs Fire in Santa Rosa on Monday Oct. 9, 2017. Massive wildfires ripped through Napa and Sonoma counties early Monday,

Smoke from the Tubbs fire is seen off of Bicentennial Way in Santa Rosa on Monday, Oct. 9, 2017.

Smoke from the Tubbs fire is seen off of Bicentennial Way in Santa Rosa on Monday, Oct. 9, 2017.

Photo: Gabrielle Lurie, The Chronicle

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The remains of the homes in the Coffey Park neighborhood are seen from the air in Santa Rosa on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017.

The remains of the homes in the Coffey Park neighborhood are seen from the air in Santa Rosa on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017.

Photo: Elijah Nouvelage, Special To The Chronicle

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The remains of the homes in the Coffey Park neighborhood are seen from the air in Santa Rosa on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017.

The remains of the homes in the Coffey Park neighborhood are seen from the air in Santa Rosa on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017.

Photo: Elijah Nouvelage, Special To The Chronicle

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Smoldering fires are seen in the remains of the Hilton Sonoma Wine Country hotel in Santa Rosa on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017.

Smoldering fires are seen in the remains of the Hilton Sonoma Wine Country hotel in Santa Rosa on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017.

Photo: Elijah Nouvelage, Special To The Chronicle

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Alameda County Sheriff deputy carries in oxygen tanks to one of the wards at the at the Sonoma Developmental Center during a mandatory evacuation as the Tubbs Fire threatens the town of Glen Ellen, Calif. on Monday, Oct. 9, 2017.

Alameda County Sheriff deputy carries in oxygen tanks to one of the wards at the at the Sonoma Developmental Center during a mandatory evacuation as the Tubbs Fire threatens the town of Glen Ellen, Calif. on

Maria Norris and her husband Keith lost their home in the fire, in Santa Rosa on Monday October 9, 2017. Massive wildfires ripped through Napa and Sonoma counties early Monday, destroying hundreds of homes and businesses on Monday Oct. 9, 2017

Maria Norris and her husband Keith lost their home in the fire, in Santa Rosa on Monday October 9, 2017. Massive wildfires ripped through Napa and Sonoma counties early Monday, destroying hundreds of homes and

Keith Norris shows what his car destroyed in the fire looked like before the fire, in Santa Rosa on Monday Oct. 9, 2017. Massive wildfires ripped through Napa and Sonoma counties early Monday, destroying hundreds of homes and businesses on Monday October 9, 2017

Keith Norris shows what his car destroyed in the fire looked like before the fire, in Santa Rosa on Monday Oct. 9, 2017. Massive wildfires ripped through Napa and Sonoma counties early Monday, destroying

Homeowner Phil Rush looks at the remains of his home destroyed by wildfire in Santa Rosa on Oct. 11, 2017. Rush said he and his wife and dog escaped with only their medication, a bag of dog food when flames overtook their entire neighborhood on October 9. The toll from Northern California's ranging wildfires continued to grow as officials said the fires destroyed up to 2,000 structures and killed at least 17 people. less

Homeowner Phil Rush looks at the remains of his home destroyed by wildfire in Santa Rosa on Oct. 11, 2017. Rush said he and his wife and dog escaped with only their medication, a bag of dog food when flames ... more

Photo: ROBYN BECK, AFP/Getty Images

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Arilyn Edwards, 6, stands beside her bike in front of the rubble of her Santa Rosa home on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017. The bike, which was a gift for her 6th birthday on Oct. 6, was destroyed as fire ripped through her neighborhood on Sunday evening. less

Arilyn Edwards, 6, stands beside her bike in front of the rubble of her Santa Rosa home on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017. The bike, which was a gift for her 6th birthday on Oct. 6, was destroyed as fire ripped through ... more

Photo: Guy Wathen, The Chronicle

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Brian Gilman displays antique tea cups he found while digging through the rubble of his mother's home on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017 in Santa Rosa. "She lost everything but the clothes she was wearing, her medicine, everything else is gone except for the two cups she asked for. According to Gilman the cups are over 200 years old. less

Brian Gilman displays antique tea cups he found while digging through the rubble of his mother's home on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017 in Santa Rosa. "She lost everything but the clothes she was wearing, her medicine, ... more

Photo: Guy Wathen, The Chronicle

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John Palmer, left, who escaped as flames surrounded his home, covers his eyes while waiting to return to his burned residence on Monday, Oct. 9, 2017, in Glen Ellen, Calif. At right is a resident who declined to be identified.

John Palmer, left, who escaped as flames surrounded his home, covers his eyes while waiting to return to his burned residence on Monday, Oct. 9, 2017, in Glen Ellen, Calif. At right is a resident who declined

Top: A primary school classroom at St. Rose School is seen with damages caused by the Tubbs fire in Santa Rosa, Ca. on Wednesday, October 11, 2017. Above: Santa Rosa firefighter Jessie Taintor prepares to fight the Tubbs Fire in the Oakmont area. less

Top: A primary school classroom at St. Rose School is seen with damages caused by the Tubbs fire in Santa Rosa, Ca. on Wednesday, October 11, 2017. Above: Santa Rosa firefighter Jessie Taintor prepares to fight ... more

Photo: Alex Washburn, The Chronicle

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Homes leveled by the Tubbs fire line the Coffey Park neighborhood of Santa Rosa, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017.

Homes leveled by the Tubbs fire line the Coffey Park neighborhood of Santa Rosa, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017.

Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle

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Rubble lines the interior of a K-mart store scorched by the Tubbs fire in Santa Rosa, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017.

Rubble lines the interior of a K-mart store scorched by the Tubbs fire in Santa Rosa, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017.

Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle

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Karen Balestieri and Heidi Facciano (left to right) marvel at a pond of live koi fish which survived the Tubbs fire in the neighborhood referred to by locals as 'old fountaingrove' in Santa Rosa, Ca. on Wednesday, October 11, 2017. less

Karen Balestieri and Heidi Facciano (left to right) marvel at a pond of live koi fish which survived the Tubbs fire in the neighborhood referred to by locals as 'old fountaingrove' in Santa Rosa, Ca. on ... more

Photo: Alex Washburn, The Chronicle

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Melted plastic bins along the side of a home on Deer Park Drive that was left unscathed by the Tubbs Fire in Santa Rosa, Ca. as seen on Wednesday, October 11, 2017.

Melted plastic bins along the side of a home on Deer Park Drive that was left unscathed by the Tubbs Fire in Santa Rosa, Ca. as seen on Wednesday, October 11, 2017.

A grove of trees near Trinity Road glows as it burns near a vineyard after a mandatory evacuation was called in the area of Glen Ellen, Calif., on Wednesday, October 11, 2017. The Napa and Sonoma valleys continue to be under threat from several fires not yet under control and growing fears that strong winds might worsen the situation. less

A grove of trees near Trinity Road glows as it burns near a vineyard after a mandatory evacuation was called in the area of Glen Ellen, Calif., on Wednesday, October 11, 2017. The Napa and Sonoma valleys ... more

Ali Pehzadpour, left, talks in an abandoned downtown Calistoga, with Marshall Hayman, right, who lost home to the fire, after a mandatory evacuation was called for the entire town in Calistoga, Calif., on Wednesday, October 11, 2017. The Napa and Sonoma valleys continue to be under threat from several fires not yet under control and growing fears that strong winds might worsen the situation. less

Ali Pehzadpour, left, talks in an abandoned downtown Calistoga, with Marshall Hayman, right, who lost home to the fire, after a mandatory evacuation was called for the entire town in Calistoga, Calif., on ... more

A member of the 270th Army National Guard direct two bulldozers as they come down Agua Caliente Road onto Hwy 12 after a mandatory evacuation was called in the area of Agua Caliente, Calif., on Wednesday, October 11, 2017. The Napa and Sonoma valleys continue to be under threat from several fires not yet under control and growing fears that strong winds might worsen the situation. less

A member of the 270th Army National Guard direct two bulldozers as they come down Agua Caliente Road onto Hwy 12 after a mandatory evacuation was called in the area of Agua Caliente, Calif., on Wednesday, ... more

Members of the 270th Army National Guard keep an eye on traffic after a mandatory evacuation was called in the area of Agua Caliente, Calif., on Wednesday, October 11, 2017. The Napa and Sonoma valleys continue to be under threat from several fires not yet under control and growing fears that strong winds might worsen the situation. less

Members of the 270th Army National Guard keep an eye on traffic after a mandatory evacuation was called in the area of Agua Caliente, Calif., on Wednesday, October 11, 2017. The Napa and Sonoma valleys continue ... more

As strong winds spread smoke into an ominous haze and threatened to push flames to new ground Wednesday, the people of fire-ravaged Sonoma Valley waited.

Some stood at roadblocks sealing off their still-smoking neighborhoods, waiting to see what was left. Others sat inside homes they had drenched with water, waiting to meet the flames head-on, while many more languished at evacuation centers, hoping for good news.

Exhausted and shaken, all were waiting for an end to the living nightmare that has been their reality since late Sunday, when the first sparks of
fire
caught and blazed a trail of destruction through the fertile soil of this pocket of Wine Country.

The
Tubbs Fire alone
had devoured more than 27,000 acres by Wednesday evening, burning up entire neighborhoods and claiming at least 13 lives.

Half of Santa Rosa neighborhood suffers fire damage, the other does notKTVU

A structure burns in Napasfgate

Santa Rosa mobile home park destroyed by firesfgate

Structures burning on Patrick Rd.sfgate

Wine Country Fires

Media: San Francisco Chronicle

Northern Santa Rosa sustained the most significant damage, with flames jumping Highway 101 and eviscerating swaths of houses. The majority of confirmed fatalities were in this area, but as winds blew the blaze south, neighborhoods along the east side of the city were also forced to evacuate.

“It’s going to continue to get worse before it gets better,” said Ken Pimlott, the chief of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire.

And with the Pocket Fire to the north and the Adobe Fire to the south, growing and contributing to the Tubbs Fire’s destruction, each day more join the thousands affected.

By mid-evening, the situation had further deteriorated. The Sonoma County Sheriff ordered evacuations only a few blocks to the east of the historic main square of downtown Sonoma.

The evacuations covered the area along Castle Road, 7th Street east and Lovall Valley Road. Residents were ordered to leave immediately.

The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department had reports of 285 missing persons, said Sheriff Rob Giordano, and with the focus mostly on “life saving and evacuations,” it may be some time before officials have a full scope of the situation.

Ash began raining on Bennett Valley Road in Santa Rosa Tuesday night. The sky was covered in a pall of smoke when Pat Lautrup, 74, escaped from her home with her husband and golden retriever. She grabbed photos, records and invaluable items from her children that could not be replaced. The rest — well, she said, she isn’t sure what happened to the rest.

On Wednesday morning, she stood at the entrance to her street, hoping for a chance to visit her home. Police had cordoned the street off. No one was going in or out.

“The only thing you can think of is, ‘Thank God we’re with all of our friends, hugging together,’” Lautrup said. “It is hard consoling your friends when you are worrying about your own home.”

Just 2 miles away, gusts of wind blew charred bay leaves into the front yard of Tracy Guanella’s childhood home, where she remained despite orders to evacuate.

She has lived on the 3-acre plot for 49 years — as long as she’s been alive. As a girl, she would ride her buggy to the goat farm down the dirt road. The vegetable garden her parents planted is still out back, surrounded by thick clusters of grapevines.

Guanella said she will die here if she has to.

“I said it, and I meant it,” she said. “I’m the only one crazy enough to stay.”

Neighbors who had heeded the evacuation warning begged her for details on the scene, and Wednesday morning, she stood on the road to call in reports. The MacDonalds’ big white farmhouse down the road: unscathed. The wood house at the mountain’s base: still standing. As she spoke, fire trucks rushed past, sirens blaring, and helicopters dumped water on the line of flames licking down the hillside.

If the fire gets too close, Guanella said, she plans to hop into the pool in the backyard and wait it out.

“We are going to save our house no matter what,” Guanella said. “We have a hose and a sprinkler on the roof and three to four more on the yard. We’ve soaked everything.”

Thirty miles north in the gritty, grapevine-growing community of Geyserville, some residents shared Guanella’s determination.

A water truck with a fire hose was parked in 34-year-old Ben Vyborny’s driveway as a sprinkler doused the roof of his house. Indoors, his girlfriend fried bacon, the fat sizzling and popping in the pan.

“We are just going to wait and see what happens,” he said.

Vyborny was one of several Geyserville residents who were ready to stay and fight. But by Wednesday evening, the winds had shifted and flames moved enough that Sonoma County Sheriff Rob Giordano made the evacuation order mandatory for portions of the community.

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At a morning briefing, Giordano had begged residents to heed evacuation warnings. His deputies, and hundreds more from other agencies, had worked through the night to evacuate new areas, and were experiencing too many close calls.

One deputy, he said, was at the Mark West Lodge with 35 residents — including a 4-month-old baby — when the fire essentially surrounded them.

Trapped, all they could do was stand in the parking lot, watch the flames burn around them and wait.

“My advice to those advised to go is ‘Go!’” Giordano said. “This is still a very serious event.”

At the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, hundreds of people who had taken his advice sifted through donated clothing, stared at their phones, nibbled on sandwiches and in some cases, simply stared into space.

It was Day 3 for many, with two nights sleeping on cots in a cavernous exhibition hall among hundreds of strangers. Volunteers at the fairgrounds counted 700 seeking refuge there on Tuesday night.

Lucienne Wilde had grabbed her dog, Tink, and her cat, Jack, when she fled her home near Spring Lake after neighbors pounded on her door in the early morning hours Monday.

She had been at the shelter ever since, sleeping in Finley Hall, which allowed pets.

People were friendly and kind, coming together in the face of a disaster, “commiserating,” Wilde said. She said the worst part was the waiting and not knowing if the homes they’d left were still standing.

“I’m in here until I find out,” she said.

Giordano cautioned those forced from their neighborhoods that even if their homes had survived, they probably would not be able to return to them until at least Monday. Jim Bray, assistant manager of the fairgrounds emergency shelter, said he anticipated that the American Red Cross would be there for the long haul.

“It’s a larger disaster for us,” he said. “And we still have more people coming.”

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